Today is a day of reflection and a day of genuine heartfelt thankfulness for me. I assume it is for most people who celebrate the holiday. As a Believer though, I think it goes deeper. Jesus, the Saviour of our souls, surely is being lifted up as the greatest reason of our thankfulness. I am thankful for God's Plan.
I look at the people that have come into my life this year and years past and had it not been for the Lord's divine appointments I would have missed these wonderful gifts. God's timing is perfect and I find that I am even thankful for that, even though it's not always my time. I am thankful for God's timing.
This year was the restoration of my relationship to my son. Jeff is a wonderful young man with a great family. His life is a testimony of God's faithfulness to answer our prayers. He has 3 beautiful sons and I am thinking possibly more to come. I am thankful for God's promises.
My daughter, Rhiannon, moved away from Shreveport. This is a bittersweet thing for me as she is gone from here but she is following her dream and I applaud her for that. I am thankful she can go and reach for the dream. So many of us stop before our dreams are realized. I am thankful for God's seed of dreams and those dreams being fulfilled.
I have had a young lady in my life for many years, she is very special to me and God used her to change my heart on some issues when she was quite a little bitty. She is a young lady now and absolutley beautiful! She asked me to be her mentor and this summer we had a couple of weeks to spend together. It is an honor and a privilege to be able to speak into your life and teach you. I am thankful to God that He would allow me this honor.
For my different friends, you know who you are. Wow, what can I say? It's been a great year, huh? Lots of laughter, some tears, studying the Word. What does that old beer commercial say? It just doesn't get any better than this. Don't get religious on me now cause I mentioned beer. LOL! You have blessed my life more than you will ever know. I am thankful for your love, your sense of humor, your honesty and your hunger to know the Lord and the things that move His heart. You all are such a physical manifestation that God is still loving me. I am thankful to God that He looked down on me, had compassion on me and gave me the gift of love and friendship once again.
I am thankful for my husband. I had the opportunity to be in the bed sick. I say opportunity because not all women get to be in the bed when they are sick. They still have to take care of husbands and children. I am an extreme baby when I am sick. EXTREME!! When I was younger I went to my mom's and she would take care of me but that was long ago and I haven't really been sick much since then. This year I have been sick several times and every time, Ken has taken care of me like my mom did. I am thankful for a husband who is empathetic.
We had puppies this year. I love my dogs!!! I am thankful for them, Abba spoke to me when I bought Roni she would be a test of my maturity. I will only say that I have matured. I, through them, have seen what it is to be loved unconditionally. To see what it really means to be dependent on God and not my own devices. Our dogs depend on us to take care of them and they in turn shower us with lots of love and affection and joy! God speaks to me through them. I am thankful to God for lessons of love and faith.
It has also been a sad year, it's been a year and a half since my mom passed, Thanksgiving just isn't the same as far as the whole family getting together goes. My Pastors mom passed away this month - a mighty woman of God. My friend lost her daughter last Friday, she was only 12. This is bittersweet. Even in this, I am thankful because I know where they all are and they are having the best thanksgiving ever! I am thankful because God has prepared a place for us when we leave here.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving and remember every good gift (including people) comes from the Lord:
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17
The scripture keeps rolling around in my spirit...
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.
From the house of the LORD we bless you. [a]
27 The LORD is God,
and he has made his light shine upon us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession
up [b] to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will give you thanks;
you are my God, and I will exalt you.
29 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Controversial subject matter
Hmm, I guess the title would really be a double entendre. What is on my mind today is the catapulting of baby Christians into the spotlight when they are not ready. What happens to those who have had a illustrious past whom God has taken and changed and filled with zeal and then we get a hold of them? We turn them into, for lack of a better word- Superstars of the Kingdom. The coup de grace of God. What a huge mistake the Body of Christ has made.
Paul in his letter to Timothy states the following instruction; I Timothy 3:6-7 An elder must not be a new believer, because he might become proud, and the devil would cause him to fall. Also, the people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the devil's trap.
Now I know some of you are going to say well, he's talking about elders!!! Do you really think the enemy cares what position you are holding if it is a position of authority or any type of leadership? NO! When we put new believers in a spotlight we place them in the sights of the enemy for failure. We in our desire to let people see what God has done and bring in converts, thrust these new babes into the spotlight and often seal their destruction.
Let me give you just a small taste of what I am talking about. Gary Busey, an actor, was "born again" a few years ago a televangelist grabbed hold of him and put him on the tv for God's glory. He is now on reality television being mocked and ridiculed and going very public about his need for rehab. Could someone please call TBN and ask them to go get him and speak some truth into him and set him up at a Christian Based & Principled rehab. Carol Alt, one time supermodel, also held up as a trophy for God. Now, posing in Playboy. The blogs that I have come across about her are heartbreaking and I feel defensive for her and for Gary Busey and for so many others who the Good Word was planted in and the cares of this life and the glitter and the glitz of celebrity are choking them. Does anyone else care that this did not have to happen? I saw Gary Busey given the opportunity to preach on TBN and the things that he said were so wrong. But it didn't matter cause he was famous and God saved him, like that was the most unusual thing.
God is not impressed with actors, actresses, porn stars, or anyone else who gets saved. He is not impressed when people who have lived an outlandish lifestyle gets saved. Why? Because that is why He sent His Son!!!! These people are not famous to God, just because they are to us. They are His creation in need of a Saviour and He saved them and we fed them to the wolves. I am very grieved by this, very grieved.
It happens in churches too, all across America and probably the world. Someone comes in, has what most call an "awesome testimony" of God's miraculous, life changing power and then "BAM" they are shot to the top of the "celebrity" list at the church. They are complimented, people want to talk to them, their opinion matters on the things of God and His Word and is taken to heart. Then you see it happen, pride slides in. They don't listen to those who are spiritual and seasoned, they are not tempered and they do not want to listen to the elders. Because God has given them revelation that the rest of us don't have.
Try to correct them in love and they will bow up. Totally unscriptural, but they somehow feel like God targeted them for something greater than the rest of us. Maybe he has, but God is God and He is not contrary to His Word. Aren't we to be doers of His Word? Yet, we so miss that very important instruction and in the process lose many, and I say many, children of promise.
I called this controversial because many will take issue with what I have said. The direction is in the Bible, take it up with God. The proof is in the lives who have been damaged, ask them what it means to be asked to lead, when they were supposed to follow. I called this controversial because the whole subject wrestled with me when I read about Carol Alt. Some things I have read said, she is not ashamed of her God given body. I don't know if she said that or not, but apparently she is not as she chooses to share it with the world. Why? Because she was not taken and nurtured and taught what it is like to really be a child of God and all that that entails. That you glorify God by a changed life that shines from the inside out, not the other way around.
Like so many of Hollywood peoples aquaintances, who use these "stars" for their own agenda's and pocketbooks, the church has their hand out as well. I'm ashamed.
God's grace is awesome. I also speak as one who at one time, when I was a new Christian was given a little more authority and influence than I should have been. I can't throw stones, I live in a glass house. I do know this, I made mistakes that hurt people. I do know that I was a baby and baby's make messes and I made a mess. When the bullets stopped I was standing alone. Except for God.
Not a single person could have told me I was not ready to be a leader. Even had I read what I just typed out in I Timothy I would probably have made an excuse of how that did not apply to me. But, it did and it still applies to every new believer. I am a survivor in the Kingdom of God because of His great mercy and His forgiving power. Please pray for baby christians who are put in places they should not be. Pray for them, love them, be patient with them, and give them the Truth in love. They may not accept it right away or may shrug you off, but one day it will piece their heart and they will get it and be thankful that you were not wowed by them but loved them enough to be honest with them. I know, I had one who did love me enough to make me mad and to chance I would never speak to them again. She loved me and she loved God and she did the hard thing, the right thing. I am convinced that I am still here because of that love, honesty and lots of prayer.
Paul in his letter to Timothy states the following instruction; I Timothy 3:6-7 An elder must not be a new believer, because he might become proud, and the devil would cause him to fall. Also, the people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the devil's trap.
Now I know some of you are going to say well, he's talking about elders!!! Do you really think the enemy cares what position you are holding if it is a position of authority or any type of leadership? NO! When we put new believers in a spotlight we place them in the sights of the enemy for failure. We in our desire to let people see what God has done and bring in converts, thrust these new babes into the spotlight and often seal their destruction.
Let me give you just a small taste of what I am talking about. Gary Busey, an actor, was "born again" a few years ago a televangelist grabbed hold of him and put him on the tv for God's glory. He is now on reality television being mocked and ridiculed and going very public about his need for rehab. Could someone please call TBN and ask them to go get him and speak some truth into him and set him up at a Christian Based & Principled rehab. Carol Alt, one time supermodel, also held up as a trophy for God. Now, posing in Playboy. The blogs that I have come across about her are heartbreaking and I feel defensive for her and for Gary Busey and for so many others who the Good Word was planted in and the cares of this life and the glitter and the glitz of celebrity are choking them. Does anyone else care that this did not have to happen? I saw Gary Busey given the opportunity to preach on TBN and the things that he said were so wrong. But it didn't matter cause he was famous and God saved him, like that was the most unusual thing.
God is not impressed with actors, actresses, porn stars, or anyone else who gets saved. He is not impressed when people who have lived an outlandish lifestyle gets saved. Why? Because that is why He sent His Son!!!! These people are not famous to God, just because they are to us. They are His creation in need of a Saviour and He saved them and we fed them to the wolves. I am very grieved by this, very grieved.
It happens in churches too, all across America and probably the world. Someone comes in, has what most call an "awesome testimony" of God's miraculous, life changing power and then "BAM" they are shot to the top of the "celebrity" list at the church. They are complimented, people want to talk to them, their opinion matters on the things of God and His Word and is taken to heart. Then you see it happen, pride slides in. They don't listen to those who are spiritual and seasoned, they are not tempered and they do not want to listen to the elders. Because God has given them revelation that the rest of us don't have.
Try to correct them in love and they will bow up. Totally unscriptural, but they somehow feel like God targeted them for something greater than the rest of us. Maybe he has, but God is God and He is not contrary to His Word. Aren't we to be doers of His Word? Yet, we so miss that very important instruction and in the process lose many, and I say many, children of promise.
I called this controversial because many will take issue with what I have said. The direction is in the Bible, take it up with God. The proof is in the lives who have been damaged, ask them what it means to be asked to lead, when they were supposed to follow. I called this controversial because the whole subject wrestled with me when I read about Carol Alt. Some things I have read said, she is not ashamed of her God given body. I don't know if she said that or not, but apparently she is not as she chooses to share it with the world. Why? Because she was not taken and nurtured and taught what it is like to really be a child of God and all that that entails. That you glorify God by a changed life that shines from the inside out, not the other way around.
Like so many of Hollywood peoples aquaintances, who use these "stars" for their own agenda's and pocketbooks, the church has their hand out as well. I'm ashamed.
God's grace is awesome. I also speak as one who at one time, when I was a new Christian was given a little more authority and influence than I should have been. I can't throw stones, I live in a glass house. I do know this, I made mistakes that hurt people. I do know that I was a baby and baby's make messes and I made a mess. When the bullets stopped I was standing alone. Except for God.
Not a single person could have told me I was not ready to be a leader. Even had I read what I just typed out in I Timothy I would probably have made an excuse of how that did not apply to me. But, it did and it still applies to every new believer. I am a survivor in the Kingdom of God because of His great mercy and His forgiving power. Please pray for baby christians who are put in places they should not be. Pray for them, love them, be patient with them, and give them the Truth in love. They may not accept it right away or may shrug you off, but one day it will piece their heart and they will get it and be thankful that you were not wowed by them but loved them enough to be honest with them. I know, I had one who did love me enough to make me mad and to chance I would never speak to them again. She loved me and she loved God and she did the hard thing, the right thing. I am convinced that I am still here because of that love, honesty and lots of prayer.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)